Portable auto washing device



July 12, 1966 R. GIOVANSANTI ETAL 3, 0, 3

PORTABLE AUTO WASHING DEVICE Filed May 15. 1964 INVENTORS RUDOLPH G/OL/AIVSAN r/ FRANK J. SPl/VELL/ &' /VAEfi/IRET ca/sl/v/EE m) United States Patent 3,260,463 PORTABLE AUTO WASHING DEVICE Rudolph Giovansanti, 355 40th St.; Frank J. Spinelli, 6517 11th Ave.; and Margaret Cuisinier, 333 86th St., all of Brooklyn, N .Y.

Filed May 15, 1964, Ser. No. 367,613 1 Claim. (Cl. 239-72) This invention relates generally to automobile washing equipment. More specifically it relates to washing equipment which is readily portable.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a car washing device having self-contained means for discharging a stream of water under pressure for removing dust and road grime from the surface of an automotive vehicle, and wherein the work can be accomplished with a minimum amount of water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a car washing device having self-contained means for being readily portable between a water supply and an automotive vehicle intended to be washed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a portable car washing device which can be pressure-loaded, for delivering a continued stream of water upon opening a discharge nozzle and wherein an audible signal is automatically sounded when the pressure is dissipated, thereby informing the operator that the device must be again re-pressurized.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a portable car washing device which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, and efiicient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident from a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing.

It should be understood, however, that these are given by way of illustration and not of limitation, and that various changes in the details, form and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view in cross-section showing the invention in operative use,

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of the invention,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken on line 33 of FIG- URE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral represents a portable car washing device according to the present invention, including an upright tank 12 having a bottom wall 14, top wall 16 and upstanding side wall 18 therebetween enclosing a central chamber 20. A convenient handle 22 is provided on the top wall to allow easy transportation by an operators hand. An opening 24 having a threaded upstanding flange 26 is provided in the top wall and serves as an inlet for placing water into the tank. Additionally it serves as a water outlet. A depending elongated tube 28 having an enlarged threaded portion 30 is attached to flange 26. The upper terminal end 32 of the tube is frictionally engaged to one end of a rubber hose 34 having a nozzle 36 at its other end. A lever 38 on the nozzle serves to selectively open or close a valve within the nozzle and thus control the discharge of a stream of water therefrom.

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A pump 40 on the top of the tank is provided for manually developing increased pressure within the tank. The pump comprises a cylinder 42, piston 44, piston rod 46, handle 48, an air inlet 50 and a one-way valve 52. Hose clips 53 hold hose 34 when the device is not in use.

In operative use, the operator depresses the piston by its handle, thus forcing air into the tank. The increased pressure then forces the water out through the hose 34 and nozzle whenever the lever is actuated.

In a modified construction shown in FIGURES 2 to 4, the tank 54 has a vertically expandable accordion midsection 56 preferably of plastic or metal. A suitable fabrication is known as Sylphon and consists of expandable accordion-like metal. A gear 58, mounted on a rotatable shaft 60 supported on a bracket 62, is in toothed engagement with the accordion midsection. A leaf spring 64 is mounted on shaft 60, the leaf spring extending radially therefrom and carrying a hammer head 66 at the outer end thereof. The bracket has a cross arm 68 which intercepts the rotational path of the outer end of the leaf spring. A bell 70 is mounted to the upper section 72 of the tank.

In operative use, the accordion midsection expands upwardly when the pressure within the tank is increased. This construction permits the water to flow from the nozzle for a longer period between times to re-pressurize the tank. As the pressure decreases due to use of the water in the tank, the midsection thereof contracts causing the upper part thereof to descend. Thus the gear is made to rotate causing the leaf spring to be bent upon engaging cross arm 68 when the tank midsection is approaching a fully contracted position. Upon slightly additional rotation of the gear, the leaf springs outer end is freed from the cross arm causing this end carrying the hammer head to strike the bell which now is lowered into position to receive the same. Thus an audible gong is heard by the operator informing him that the pressure will soon start to drop. The operator can at the next opportunity repressurize the tank instead of discovering at an inopportune time, such as when he is far from the tank, that pressure has already dropped beyond usability.

While various changes may be made in the details of construction, it is understood that such changes will be in the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus set forth our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a portable car washing device, the combination of a tank, said tank comprising a vessel having a bottom wall, a top wall and a side wall therebetween, enclosing a central chamber, said side wall having a vertically expandable accordion midsection, for permitting an increased amount of air under pressure to be retained within said tank, said tank having an upper section and a lower section, means for entry of water into said tank, discharge means for said water from said tank and pressure development means for forcing said water to said discharge means, said entry means comprising a port within said tank, said discharge means comprising an elongated tube depending through said vent into said tank, said tube having a threaded portion threadingly engaged within said vent, a hose connected to the upper end of said tube, said tube having an end extending outwardly from said tank and being frictionally engaged with one end of a flexible hose having a nozzle at the opposite end, said pressure means comprising an air pump having a slidable piston within a cylinder for forcing air into said tank, an upstanding bracket carried by the lower section of said tank, said bracket supporting rotatively free a shaft carrying a gear engaged with said accordion midsection, a leaf spring mounted on said shaft, said leaf spring extending radially outward and carrying a hammerhead at the outward end thereof, said bracket having a cross arm in the path of the rotational travel of said leaf spring, and a bell carried by the upper section of said tank, said bell being in alignment with said leaf-spring hammerhead, whereby said leaf-spring hammerhead strikes said bell when said tank upper section is lowered a major part of its vertical travel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 984,187 2/1911 Bond 329-373 2,853,212 9/1958 Anderson 239373 2,989,244 6/1961 Matthewson 239-373 3,135,431 6/1964 Matthewson et a1. 239-373 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner. ROBERT B. REEVES, Examiner. R. S. STROBEL, Assistant Examiner. 

